a. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of network communications. In particular, the invention relates to a network system having an architecture that supports a flexible and efficient interconnection of protocol layers.
b. Background Information
Efficient data throughput and simpler control and configuration are important characteristics of network devices, such as routers. However, as more network protocols are supported, the task of configuring and maintaining the network devices becomes more daunting. As customers demand more flexibility and features of the network devices, the deficiencies of the present data flow and control flow of network devices becomes more apparent.
Present port and path management systems illustrate some of the deficiencies. In some port and path management systems, designers must write code to support specific link set-up and channel set-up protocol combinations. For example, to support point-to-point protocol (PPP) over an ISDN channel, specific code must be written. If a customer wants PPP over frame-relay over a high speed serial device (HSS), then the designers must modify the PPP code and combine it with new code to support the particular configuration. If a customer wants some other combination of PPP and frame-relay, again the designers need change both the PPP code and the frame-relay code. Adding features such as providing additional bandwidth on demand by bundling multiple paths for use by a single port can be even more difficult. This perpetual need to change the code that supports the various parts of the network protocol leads to a system that can be difficult to debug, difficult to extend, difficult to customize, and difficult to support.
Focusing on the difficulty in customization, present systems make adding security features or compression features to the network device very difficult. The new features must be written directly into the already existing code. Selectively including such features may require two or more completely different sets of code. This makes supporting such systems difficult.
Therefore, what is needed is a network system including an improved architecture that is more extensible, flexible and customizable than present networks.